


Even if the Moon Shines Upon It

by AcornScorn



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Other, Redemption
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:29:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22062589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcornScorn/pseuds/AcornScorn
Summary: “I need your help. Seriously. They trusted me to do this, and I don't want them to think I can't even handle this one problem.” He hesitates. “Please?”Pitch has nothing to offer, and surely Jack knows this. He has no Nightmares to control, no power over the mortal realm, absolutely nothing, while Jack just keeps collecting believers and power.“Fine,” he says anyways, because saying no to someone like Jack is hard when he’s the only one who understands how much it hurts being invisible to begin with.
Relationships: Jack Frost & Pitch Black, Jack Frost/Pitch Black, Pitch Black & Toothiana (Guardians of Childhood)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 165





	Even if the Moon Shines Upon It

**Author's Note:**

> Hi hi hi hi ! I’m sooo excited to finally share this fic! It’s the first ROTG one I’ve posted, and I’ve sort of combined some of the prompts. My only regret is that I've never read the books, just seen the movie, so if anything's off because of that I wouldn't know

It’s the start of Winter.

Pitch doesn’t want anything to do with it.

He’d only managed to escape from his own personal hell underground what feels like days ago but what is actually much closer to a decade. Locking the hundreds of Nightmares he’d once created took all his energy and to this day he is still weakened to the bones as a result. He hides away from humans and spirits alike, though it is not like they would be fazed even if they saw him.

He means so little now, after all.

The same goes for the Guardians, though for serious reason. If one of them were to see him, or catch wind that he’d escaped, Pitch was sure he would end up right back where he’d started-alone, beaten to misery by the Nightmares he thought he could control and failed. When he hears sleigh bells, or feels the ground rumble, or sees gold in the sky or hears the tell-tale fluttering of little wings, he sinks into the shadows and he waits until he’s sure they’re gone. Sometimes it takes the entire night-other times, like when Jack is in the same area as him, days.

This is his pitiful, boring existence. His punishment, perhaps.

It comes to an end one evening, however, in the form of one annoyingly cheerful Guardian waiting for him in the shadows of an alleyway in some old American town. Jack doesn’t even look surprised, and it leads to Pitch realizing that at least one Guardian knows that he’s been out and about. They aren’t even concerned.

“There’s a Nightmare loose in Burgess,” Jack says, climbing up his staff to sit at the top like some sort of winter gargoyle-or more appropriately, like some sort of overexcited monkey. “I want you to help get rid of it.”

“No.”

That should be the end of it.

Pitch doesn’t specialize in nightmares or Nightmares anymore-he specializes in hiding, and avoiding trouble and guardians. He turns around, ready to duck into the closest shadow, and then Jack grabs his hand, squeezing hard.

“Let go of me,” Pitch snaps automatically, expecting the winter spirit to recoil at either his words or how hard he pulls away. But Jack doesn’t let go, won’t let him just run away.

“Come on, Pitch! This is your chance to do something useful. Something good!”

“I don’t want to do anything useful or good. I’m not your puppet just because I’m weak now.”

“Wait, what?”

Jack lets go, and Pitch knows he should disappear like he was planning on doing, but now he’s irritated. “I know how you see me. I can see myself like that, too. If I don’t help, what will you do? Go tell the others that I’ve finally freed myself? I’ve been out for a long time. I can just go back to hiding-”

“Dude,” Jack says, looking mostly confused, but also annoyed. He holds his hands up like he’s trying to appear non-threatening. “I asked for help because you know these things. You used to control them. But if you don’t want to help, you don’t have to.” He leans against his staff, frowning back. “I won’t tell them I saw you, promise. I’m just trying to help a kid.”

“I don’t help kids,” Pitch tells him. “Why should I?”

“Because doesn’t it feel good to be seen? Believed in?”

“Nobody wants to believe in the Bogeyman.”

“Nobody wants to believe in the old Bogeyman.” Jack smiles. “What about a new one?”

“Easier done than said. I’ll be taking my leave now-and expecting you to uphold that stupid promise of yours.”

He sinks into the shadows, and Jack lets him. He doesn’t know why that bothers him so much.

When Pitch is alone, hiding safely in the shadows of some unnamed forest in Europe days later, he lets his thoughts wander now that he doesn’t have to be on the lookout for any of the guardians. Even though Jack promised, he knew better than to believe him without being wary. After all, he’d broken Jack’s trust time and time before. It was only fair for the young Guardian to call in some help and get back at him for what he’d done.

But it never happens. Pitch listens for the sound of a sleigh, the shriek of tooth fairies, or the feeling of sand on his skin. He hears and feels none of it.

Once, Pitch had been nicer to children. The ones with real nightmares, the ones who were abused or bullied or worse, didn’t need his help to suffer. That alone was frustrating, but it wasn’t their fault. He had simply sunk away from them without really having a reason why.

But what if, just once, he had tried to help? The idea had never occurred to him. In fact, the word was foreign on his tongue and it made him want to laugh. Pitch Black, THE Bogeyman, trying to help someone.

Hell, he couldn’t even help himself. That’s how pathetic he was now.

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” he says aloud, not expecting an answer.

But of course he gets one.

Dealing with Jack Frost only brings him too much trouble, apparently.

“That’s rich,” a feminine voice replies, hovering over him somewhere.

Jack Frost is annoying, sure, but the other Guardians are terrifying. Pitch instinctively ducks down but before he can jump into the shadows to escape, the Tooth Fairy crash-lands right on top of him.

“When were you ever mighty?” Toothiana asks. Her voice isn’t even mocking, infuriatingly enough. “None of your concern,” Pitch growls, pushing her off him. She rolls backward and flutters up a few feet away from him. “If you run, I’ll catch you,” she threatens. He rolls his eyes at her confidence, pulling himself to his feet and dusting himself off. “I might not have my Nightmares, but I still have my powers. I wouldn’t need to run.”  
But something kept him rooted to the spot, reaching for neither Toothiana or his weapon. “Did you need something, or are you just here to torment me?”

“I’m here on Jack’s behalf.”

Her pink eyes were determined. Pitch rolled his eyes, turning away. “You and him know well enough how to deal with Nightmares-both of you have dealt with mine.”

“My fairies had problems dealing with them, you know.” It almost sounded like it could have been a compliment, had it been from anyone other than a Guardian.

“I already gave him my answer. Leave me alone.”

“If you were set on hating us, you’re doing a terrible job of pushing any of us away.”

He glares at her, but it has no effect, judging by the cheeky smile she gives in return. That was the problem with Guardians. They were so infuriatingly simple-be good, do good. Help others do the same. Well, he wasn’t having it.

“He said he wouldn’t tell anyone that we met. How am I to trust him when he’s already lied to me once?”

Toothiana snorts. “Jack didn’t tell me you two met. I just...maybe...sort of...squeezed the answer out of him? He’s kind of easy to read, you know.”

He’s all too aware.

“Just give it some more thought. You know it’ll be hard to shake him off once I tell him you’re thinking about it.”

“No, don’t-!”

Toothiana darts backwards as soon as he reaches out to try and grab her. Pitch narrows his eyes and she rolls hers in response this time, ever the picture of mockingly cheerful. “Don’t you dare,” Pitch says, hands itching to reach out for his scythe even though he hasn’t had to use it in years. Toothiana shrugs. “Too late!”

With that, she disappears into the air, too far out of his reach considering its still daytime. She probably planned it that way. How annoying.

The next time Jack shows up, he gives enough warning for Pitch to become aware of him before he jumped out. There was frost on the grass, to begin with, and then a chill gust of wind blew right into Pitch’s face. Minutes later, the young Guardian flew in on his staff with no sign of a smile this time.

“Back so soon?” Pitch asks.

“It’s been like, a week,” Jack defends, though he doesn’t look like he’s in the mood to banter judging by his expression and the way he wrings the old wood in his hands. Pitch feels just a little bolder when Jack looks this meek, even if it’s just an illusion. Maybe bold enough to entertain the pesky guardian, because lucky for Jack, Pitch knows why he’s here. It doesn’t take long for Jack to speak again when all Pitch does is wait for a response, hiding in the shadow of a tree.

“I need your help. Seriously. They trusted me to do this, and I don't want them to think I can't even handle this one problem.” He hesitates. “Please?”  
Pitch has nothing to offer, and surely Jack knows this. He has no Nightmares to control, no power over the mortal realm, absolutely nothing, while Jack just keeps collecting believers and power.

“Fine,” he says anyways, because saying no to someone like Jack is hard when he’s the only one who understands how much it hurts being invisible to begin with.

Almost exactly one day later, Jack returns to Pitch’s soon-to-be abandoned hiding spot with Toothiana right behind him. Neither look nervous or worried, but Pitch decides to let that slide. They’re not afraid of him anymore, no matter how much he misses the power that came with that.

He is a little relieved that Jack actually came back, though.

Toothiana’s brought some sort of a scroll with her, opening it to reveal a map of Jack’s town that Pitch vaguely remembers. There’s black X’s marked in several spots, and Jack points at those first.

“This is where kids have definitely seen it,” Jack explains. “And these,” he points at several gray smudges on the map that Pitch had been sure were just smears of charcoal, “are where I’ve...sensed it. I don’t know. Sometimes I can just tell that it’s close. Do you know what I mean?”

“I do,” Pitch says. “I can feel the Nightmares. Maybe you can get a glimpse of them.”

They feel like unease, and danger. Pitch is no stranger to those feelings.

“I’ve been sending my fairies to track it if it leaves Burgess, but so far, they’ve got nothing. It’s staying in one spot, at least.”

“If you two are so close to catching it, why do you need my help?” Pitch asks, looking from the hovering Toothiana to Jack sitting on the ground beside him. “Your fairies can simply follow it, and Jack can be there when it attacks them.”

“Because this Nightmare isn’t interested in Guardians or fairies,” Toothiana says. Her hands curl into fists and she flies a circle around Pitch as she talks. “It’s adamant on tormenting this one child, and I can’t stand it! Nothing we do can distract it long enough for us to even track it down once it hears us coming.”

“But we have a plan!” Jack exclaims, opening the scroll even more to reveal a drawn picture of some sort of hole with another black X drawn in the center. It The more Pitch stares at the awful drawing, the more he notices, such as the railroad tracks and the circle in the back of the picture. It’s a tunnel. “This is abandoned. The kids hang out here all the time. All we need to do is lure the Nightmare in, and when it comes through, wham!” He punches at the paper, startling Toothiana.

“It’s not that easy,” she chides, shaking her head at him before turning to Pitch. “The girl it’s been messing with is scared of the dark. But without her coming here, we have no chance of cornering the beast.” She flutters beside Pitch and pokes his shoulder.

“That’s when you come in.”

“I hope I’m misreading what you’re implying.”

“Jamie’s been babysitting her. He told her that you’re nice and want to help.”

“Neither of those things are true,” Pitch says. “I didn’t take Guardians to be so willing to lie.”

Jack’s expression falls, but from behind Toothiana lets out a snort. “Shut up,” she says, and Pitch is a little proud that she’s caught his obvious sarcasm. It’s more entertaining watching Jack be confused as he stares between the two of them before finally giving up to return to his explaining.

“She comes with us, and we not only protect her here, but we get rid of the Nightmare for good.” He leans back on his hands, staring up at Pitch. “Makes sense? Are you in?”

“I don’t really feel like I have a choice,” Pitch says.

The next night, the unlikely trio has begun their plan. It begins with Jack cracking open a window and darting into a bedroom, only to come out with a child clinging to his neck.

The girl is young-only five or six years old. Her eyes get wide when Jack picks her up and shows her Pitch.

“This is the Bogeyman,” he whispers, floating out of her window and grinning at Pitch. “He’s my friend.”

She nods quickly and Toothiana nods at Pitch. There is no time to rest. “Do you know where it is?”

He breathes in. Senses fear coming from somewhere to the west. “This way,” he directs, tilting his head and darting forward. Jack and Toothiana follow easily-one ice-skating with a girl giggling at him, the other flying. The four of them must make for an entertaining image, Pitch figures. A young child, a white-haired youth, a flying beauty, and a looming shadow in the lead. It makes him grin, just for a second, but to his embarrassment it’s a second that Jack has spent looking at him. When he turns his head he sees how big of a smile Jack Frost can give to him.

He turns his attention back to the Nightmare, only to realize it feels even closer than before. “It’s coming this way,” he hisses to the pair. He hears the girl let out a quiet whimper as they all slow down at the sight of the tunnel. There are no lights this far from town. Just the glow from the moon and the night sky.

“Me and Tooth have to get ready,” Jack whispers. He pulls the girl’s arms off from around his neck and looks to Pitch pleadingly.  
It’s certainly the first time the Bogeyman has ever willingly reached out for a child.  
He lets her hide her face in his chest and takes his time walking into the tunnel, listening to ominous whispers around him as the Nightmare comes closer and closer. The girl lets out another soft noise and he squeezes her a little tighter. He told Jack he would help. Adjusting his grip, Pitch moves his arm so he’s supporting the girl with just the one. With his free hand, he lets his old scythe materialize, just in case. The weight is nostalgic.  
It is also the first time he prepares his scythe to defend someone other than himself.

A chill runs down his spine, though not because of the winter or because of Jack Frost. It is a chill born from fear.

A single hoofstep echoes in the dark.

The Nightmare has arrived.

“Come, now,” Pitch says, voice weaving into the shadows. The Nightmare snorts and takes another step closer.

Pitch may have lost control on a herd of Nightmares, but he was still their master, for a time. He knows how to catch their attention.

“She’s here alone.”

He can see the Nightmare now. It’s huge, the size of a bus, and black fog billows around it. All he can do is watch it get closer. It’s still too far for him to hit with his scythe, and if he strikes too early, he’ll have ruined everything.

Closer.

It has to be closer.

“Closer,” Pitch murmurs. “Try and take her.”

Nightmares don’t understand sarcasm. All they care about is prey. The Nightmare is lured by his voice and his magic, however weak it may be, and its hunger leads to its demise seconds later as Pitch watches Jack zip in behind it. There’s a flutter of wings loud enough for the Nightmare to perk its ears, looking past Pitch to stare at Toothiana right behind him. It never turns around to notice Jack aim his staff at it from behind and land a perfect hit into its smokey shape. The girl lets out a squeal but the Nightmare doesn’t make a single noise as it bursts into fog and fades away.

Pitch breaks the silence first. “Well, that’s over with.”

“That...was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be,” Toothiana says, from where she’s flying. She sounds disappointed.

Pitch feels irritated, to his own confusion. He did what he was asked. It meant Jack Frost and the Tooth Fairy would finally leave him alone. So why wasn’t he satisfied? Jack takes the girl from Pitch’s arms as they head out of the near-blinding darkness of the tunnel.

“I-no, we-Jack and I, I mean-it would’ve taken us weeks to find and catch that thing. You did it in no time!”

“I made them. It would be concerning if I couldn’t have traced it and taken care of it quickly.”

He watches the last traces of the fog vanish into thin air and realizes then that Jack and Tooth are both still watching him. The girl’s fallen asleep on Jack.

“I should take her back,” Jack says at last. “Meet you guys back by the pond in a few?”

Toothiana is unusually quiet as she flutters beside Pitch while he dashes through the snow. Neither of them need to be guided to the pond, but it’s good to have someone’s company while they wait for Jack to return.

“You still haven’t put that away.”

He looks over at her, and she flutters closer and motions to his scythe. As soon as he’s reminded of it he lets it dissolve into nothingness, flexing his hand after gripping it so tightly.

“I didn’t realize.”

She doesn’t look upset. Only thoughtful.

“I know. It’s okay.”

There’s laughter from behind them both, and they turn to see Jack running towards them and squeezing in between to aim for the frozen lake in front of them. “We did that! Like it was nothing!”

They watch him skate and slide on the ice for a few minutes before he whirls around to face them both. “Pitch.”

He raises an eyebrow in question.

“You did good.”

Tooth sets a hand on his shoulder, and she doesn’t seem bothered when he stiffens and pulls away from her touch. “Really good,” she adds. “Sorry.”

He looks away from the pair, eyes darting up to where the Man in the Moon is watching them. What is he thinking now, Pitch wonders.

“I’m not saying you have to be our ally now,” Jack says, and when Pitch looks back Jack has come closer to the edge of the lake.

They’re so close now.

If Pitch was feeling like his old self, he would have taken hold of his scythe and taken care of them the only way he knew how to.

He squeezes his hand into a fist. Black fog escapes through his fingers, but it never forms into a scythe or other weapon for him to use. He doesn’t let it, after all.

“But?” Pitch presses.

“But we want you around. Things can be different, Pitch-better! So much better for both of us.”

He doesn’t believe that.

Pitch Black has done so much wrong in his existence that he feels he may never have a clean soul-not that he wants one, anyways. But the way Jack and Toothiana are looking at him, with eyes so full of hope and determination, make him want to believe it.

That maybe he does deserve better, and deserves to be believed in, if only he can do a little better.

“I’d like to see you try,” Pitch tells them both, and the smiles they give him in return are proof enough that they’re willing to do so.


End file.
